Persona: The Lark Ascending
by LemonSmoothie
Summary: A Persona story in "real time," set in 2009, but with the events of the previous Persona stories moved to past years necessary for some of the supporting cast . A year in the life of a Japanese high school student, told one day at a time.
1. Prologue

"Persona: The Lark Ascending"

My name is Igor. I reside in the Velvet Room, a space that exists between mind and matter.

Just as people possess more than one side, so too do stories. This story is no exception. This side is like a lark, flying higher and higher in hopes of reaching Heaven. Will our lark succeed? He must go forth, without falter...


	2. April 1, 2009

Part I: Preludio

April 1, 2009

Time: Unknown

The scene is the dining car of a train: elegantly made tables, napkins folded into swans and flowers beside china plates and sparkling silver utensils; thin purple carpet soft to the touch; a chandelier drooping down from the center of the ceiling, its light dancing around the walls in points, in streaks; curtains dressing the sides of the windows, forming a frame for the shiny clouds passing by outside of the car; and the train's most important passenger seated at a table in the middle of the room.

Igor, the herald of Philemon, the King of Cards, the Master with the Long Nose. Regal, stiff, tall, dark, and commanding, he sits facing forward, hands folded under his chin, head bowed in meditation, until he sees his guest. He then slowly turns his gaze upwards until he makes eye contact. When he speaks, it is slow and deliberate.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

His guest nods, silently, unsure of where he is or how he got there. Igor seems to notice this.

"You are now in a world that exists between the conscious and the unconscious, between sleep and waking. Do you know why you are here?"

His guest shakes his head.

"You cannot be a guest here without some reason, nor can you be without a contract. Very soon you will enter into a contract, and then you will learn what is amiss in the cosmos and what is to be done about it."

His guest appears confused, now by both his unfamiliar surroundings and by the words of the strange man with the strange face.

"Please make your acquaintance with my assistant, Elsa. She, too, is a resident of this Velvet Room."

And for the first time, the guest notices a woman standing in the shadows behind Igor. Upon being noticed, she moves by Igor's side and reveals a smooth, alabaster face with a thin nose, a tiny mouth, and gold eyes that can see into the guest's soul, meticulously trimmed hair hanging out from under a boxy locomotive conductor's hat of the deepest blue, and slender figure hidden under blue suit, silver epaulets on the shoulders, pockets gracing both sides of the jacket, a gold chain running from under the jacket to one of her bony hands, there attached to a ticking pocket watch, and a pair of trousers running down the legs to a pair of high, black boots. She bows politely.

"A pleasure to meet you, I am sure," she says.

Igor speaks again: "My previous guest was most extraordinary, but the changing times call for even more extraordinary measures to be taken to vouchsafe the future. This time, or these times, if I may, the future of your world is balanced not on one fulcrum, but on two."

Igor tilts his head to one side, and a feeling of uneasiness builds in the guest's stomach.

"But that is something of which you will learn when the time comes. For now, your only task is to introduce yourself. Do not be afraid to speak; this is, after all, your own dream."

The guest tries to answer. At first no sound comes out of his mouth, but then:

"Hyuga. Hyuga Hosokawa."

Igor's eternal smile broadens.

"Let us hope that is the name of yet another remarkable guest. For now, though, Hyuga, I must bid you farewell until you enter into the contract you require. When that happens, rest assured we will be here, awaiting your return."

Elsa bows again. "We shall look forward to it, Master Hyuga."

A whistle sounds, a train whistle, and its sound diminishes as the scene fades and Hyuga drifts into a deeper sleep and a deeper dream.

XXX

Time: Early Morning

An alarm buzzes rudely in Hyuga's ear. He turns his head to see his clock radio sitting on his nightstand next to him, an uncomfortably small number to the left of the colon telling him that he should rouse himself and think less about dreams and more about breakfast. Or television.

With agonizing effort, Hyuga pulls his heavy bedsheets off of his body and slides himself to the floor. With his blanket off and only his nightclothes to keep him warm, he shivers. At last he stumbles over to the corner, collapses into the bean bag chair in front of the television, fumbles for the remote control, and turns the set on.

The monitor flashes and blinks, and the plain black give way to brightly colored words, a round, middle-aged face with a smug grin and a wrinkled nose, and a chorus chanting, "Here comes Tanakaaaaaa over the airwaves to youuuuuu!"

Hyuga pays partial attention to the wrinkly announcer as he hawks a cannister of diet pills and a small toaster oven designed especially for grilling meatballs. Neither product looks interesting, so Hyuga switches the television over to the weather report.

Sunny but cold, he is told. Sunny but cold for the next several days, perfect traveling weather. Perfect train weather.

Hyuga's mind meanders briefly to the scenes from his dream and the train there, with the mysterious conductor and the man with the long nose, but he does not allow it to remain there. He needs focus. He needs a good breakfast, and then he needs to check his suitcases one final time, take a warm shower, put on his traveling clothes, find is tickets, and then ready himself for the beginning of what could be a long year.

It could be a good year for him. He reminds himself that he applied for his position in the guest student program at Hibari High with every intention of enjoying it if he won, and even though he might turn out somewhat homesick if he spends too much time away from his family in Shimonoseki, he still needs to take responsibility and make the best of his lot. The Hibari High guest student program is highly selective, after all, and getting in is an honor.

Brochure after brochure has assured him that his accommodations will be first class, near both the ocean and all of the urban amenities he needs to maintain his lifestyle. A day of labor in the chemistry laboratory could be followed by evening on a beach towel, listening to the waves, drinking fruit punch, and watching his female classmates splash about playfully. Hyuga concentrates on that image until he finds himself calm, and then he leaves his room to fetch some breakfast.

His mother has already cooked a meal for him, a meal most likely too large for a mere breakfast but still welcome, even after last night's family dinner at the restaurant and sumptuous dessert and nonalcoholic drinks late at night and one last snack before finally turning in. Something tells Hyuga that a year away from his mother might help keep him from gaining weight.

Food, shower, moving bags to the family car, and more goodbyes follow, and before he can settle his mind down and think about just what is happening, Hyuga finds himself at the train station, alone, ticket in hand. A man in a poorly tailored, buttoned uniform and a round, brimmed hat asks for Hyuga's destination and takes his ticket. Hyuga hands the ticket over, passes his bags to the young man in charge of luggage, and boards the train bound for Shiryukawa.

The train is mostly empty even when it departs. Hyuga takes a window seat, leans against the side of the car, and reads his chosen travel book, a thick volume of Natsume Soseki.

Hours pass. Buildings, lakes, mountains, and trees all take their turn in Hyuga's view from the train; some of these he takes the time out from his novel to admire, and others he ignores. He enjoys the rivers the most, always mindful of the deceptively complex fluid dynamics hidden under the surface of the waters, and always fearful of the raw power of the water as it pushes unflinchingly forward. Power balances against the flexibility to wind along the river's course in a way that both awes and inspires Hyuga. It is the balance that holds for him a particular fascination.

Hyuga wonders idly if he enjoys trains for the same reason he enjoys rivers.

Lunch is served on the train, but Hyuga cannot eat, partly out of anticipation and partly because he has had his fill already. The sights and smells of other passengers eating prompt him to steal a small wrapped candy from his carry-on bag, but that is all he needs. His teeth rattle somewhat as he slips the candy into his mouth, buffeted about by the train as it scrapes across the rails.

An hour later, a voice over the train's speakers informs Hyuga that he will be arriving at his destination shortly and thanks him for traveling with them. A kindly serving woman helps him secure his carry-on baggage and escorts him off of the train, where he is handed the rest of his bags by a young man wearing the same uniform as the one who took them back in Shimonoseki. Hyuga thanks him and walks away from the train, through a tall glass door, and into Shiryukawa Station.

The inside of the station is even larger than Hyuga thought it would be. He stands at the back, next to the doors leading to the tracks. To his side, lines of people waiting to board run from exit doors around to Hyuga's right. In front of him is a waiting area for those not yet ready to board, with chairs and television monitors and a schedule board and a small serving area for hungry patrons. To his left is the ticket counter, staffed by young women in neat hats and coats behind a smooth, plain counter upon which sit bins with travel brochures and paper cards listing ticket prices and train destinations. A larger bulletin board behind the counter depicts the same information in larger print.

Hyuga takes a bus schedule and a subway train schedule from the counter and leaves through the front door. The bus stop is near the train station.

Hibari Dorm #5

Time: Afternoon

Hyuga's bus gets him to his assigned dorm room in a timely, convenient fashion. The building itself is tall and silver and practically covered in long rectangular window panes, two per dorm room, four stories in all. The front entrance, marked by glass double doors, sits in the center of two wings, one east and one west, with the front of the building facing the south where a row of hedges on either side of a concrete pathway stretch about thirty feet to the curb with its bus stop (and the subway station is a good hundred feet down the block to the east at the intersection). The dorm looks more like an office building than a school dormitory, its appearance hardly setting it apart from any of the other multistory buildings Hyuga has seen in Shiryukawa so far.

Through the front door is the lobby, where a welcoming party is waiting for the new arrival.

"Hey," says a young man wearing the Hibari school uniform: a dark greenish gray suit with a black tie and loafers. The young man's jacket and tie hang loosely on him, and his top shirt button is undone. He has an angular face hidden partially by parted hair drooping down on either side of his forehead, framing a set of young, mischievous eyes and a smile that looks a bit overused.

"Hi," says Hyuga. "I'm, um, new here."

"The new kid," says the other kid. "Hyuga? I've been expecting you sometime today. My name is Yasuo Ikeda, second year student at Hibari High."

Hyuga and Yasuo shake hands.

"You're part of the guest student program, aren't you? You have to be pretty smart to get into that, I hear. I mean, this really is a good school, but don't think we don't have fun or anything. You'll get plenty of that here. Some of it official, some of it... less so."

"Really?" says Hyuga. "What is the difference?"

Yasuo's smile turns into an evil smirk. "Some of it is, as they say, off the books. It's fun we students have to create ourselves, if you catch my drift."

"Not sure that I do."

"Unsanctioned parties and pranks. C'mon, didn't they have that stuff at your old school?"

Hyuga grins understandingly. "I see."

"Anyway, you'll find yourself right at home here, so don't hesitate to ask if you need any help fitting in. Oh, and be prepared for tomorrow. We're having a party for all of the new kids. Seven o'clock sharp. Be there!"

Hyuga makes a mental note of the time of the party and then drags his bags through the lobby and into the elevator. His room is on the second floor of the east wing, and the sparseness of the dorm depresses him a little, so he spends most of the rest of the day unpacking and decorating the place. Yasuo is nowhere to be seen for the entire rest of the day, but Hyuga manages to find his number in the dorm directory, and he programs it into his cell phone. Any new contact is worthwhile, he figures, whether for social reasons or for studying once the academic year begins.

The day is so busy that Hyuga hardly even notices the packet of orientation materials that has been lying on the desk since before he arrived. By ten o'clock, he is too tired to bother reading it, so he promises himself that he will do so first thing tomorrow, and then he lies on the twin bed in the corner of the room and lets himself drift off to sleep.

XXX

The Velvet Room

Time: Late Night

"The Velvet Room," says Igor, "is in a place halfway between waking and dreams, between reality and unreality. We have many guests, both part of the dream here and part of the waking world outside. Some of our guests are active, and some are not.

"What all of our guests must remember is that time, both here and outside, is precious. Your perception of time may appear to be different from ours, but it is in many ways parallel. Indeed, the story of our latest guest, young Hyuga Hosokawa, will take place over the course of one year, if I am correct about this, and in your world, dear friends, it will also take a year to complete.

"What you may not realize, however, is that not all of the records in your world are to be relied upon. Certain other guests had their stories told as if they took place in years not quite appropriate, at least from your perspective. Our previous two guests, as remarkable as they were, have been said by some to have come by years from now instead of in the past. I will let you use your imaginations to discover just what I mean by this, but in time you will come to know.

"Also in time, we will both come to know our new guest, and only time again will tell if he can live up to the standards set by his predecessors. This new mystery, both taking place in and shaped by the constraints of time, and at times broken free of those bonds, will surely mark a turning point in our young friend's own time.

"One year. Just as he gets one year, so too do you. One year from today, all of the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place, if Hyuga does his part, and if that part is enough.

"That, however, may be just half of the story."


	3. April 2, 2009

April 2, 2009

Hibari Dorm #5

Time: Early Morning

Hyuga's alarm wakes him up.

At first he does not want to get out of bed; his dreams of the long-nosed man from the Velvet Room are too deep, too lucid. He wants to go back, he wants to learn more about Igor, and he wants to learn more about the strange woman in the conductor's uniform, Elsa. What he does not want is to drag himself out of the double layer of soft, heavy sheets covering him and into the the open, uninviting air of a room that does not yet have the quality of having been lived in. It is not yet a home to him, so he does not yet find it inviting.

Eventually, though, he has to get up, if only because he remembers that he has not read the orientation packet on his desk, and for all he knows the school expects him at an essential orientation function later this morning. This leaves him little choice but to force himself over to his desk.

Still in his nightclothes, he pulls out his chair, sits down, and bends the metal fastener on the lip of the envelope until he can pull it open and slip the contents onto the top of the desk, where he can read them. Inside are several stapled bundles of paper, some of which look official and businesslike and some of which are made to look more casual, with the print on bright yellow or blue paper with clip art illustrations on the corners. Hyuga decides to read these only after skimming the more official-looking papers.

The first white page covered with a plain font and no pictures is a schedule for the orientation period. This Hyuga sets aside for future reference—he places it in a prominent position on the upper left corner of his desk underneath his desk calendar, just so he does not forget where it is. The next consists of four pages stapled together, the first three of which contain academic and behavioral rules and expectations for members of the guest student program as well as the Honor Code, a system whereby academic honesty and discipline are maintained. The fourth page is a statement saying Hyuga will abide by the Honor Code as well as the rest of the rules, and at the bottom of the page is a line for his signature.

Hyuga reads the signature page carefully. In addition to the statement that he will abide by the Honor Code, the page indicates that his signature on the document will act as a liability waiver for the school. Any damages or harm to his person or property from any unreasonable or "unnatural" (something about the word unnerves Hyuga a bit, though he is not sure why) source will be the responsibility of the student alone, and the school is not to be held liable.

A check of the calendar reveals that the Honor Code form must be turned in at the first major program orientation meeting on Friday, so Hyuga files the papers under his calendar and turns his attention to the rest of the materials.

WELCOME TO SHIRYUKAWA

Home of the highly respected Hibari High School

Dear Student,

Congratulations on being accepted into the guest student program at Hibari High School in beautiful Shiryukawa. We hope that your stay this year will be as enlightening as it is thrilling, and we hope that through this guest student program we, too, can continue to learn and grow. It is only through constant interaction with those unfamiliar to us that we can continue to build our modern global community, and that process begins in our home country. Through this program, you will have access to an education unrivaled among high schools in Japan, with special attention given to our guests through our faculty mentorship system and our other amenities designed to promote the intellectual and social development of our guests.

In addition to our guest students, guest lecturers will be present for parts of the school year for the purpose of exposing both our guest students and our regular students to the breadth of knowledge and experience accumulated in some of the rising stars of the teaching profession. You will leave the program a better person in every respect, and we hope that the experience will be valuable to you as you prepare for your college examinations next year.

We at Hibari High School are equally proud of our regular student and faculty bodies, and we hope that you come to appreciate their unequaled level of excellence as much as we have through years of attracting top students from around the country as well as top instructors for our rigorous program. Make new friends, study under the masters of education, and allow yourself to rise up on the winds of opportunity and glide into the wild blue skies of success: that is our hope for you in the coming year.

Do not be intimidated, and always remember where your true strength lies. I wish you success in the coming year.

-Yoshitaka Mori, Principal

XXX

Hibari Dorm #5

Time: Lunch

Although the semester has not yet begun, Hyuga's meal ticket privileges have, allowing him to eat his lunch in the cafeteria area in back of the first floor of Dorm #5. This turns out to be fortuitous, as he runs into his only real acquaintance so far, Yasuo Ikeda, while looking for a place to sit. Yasuo seems happy to see him.

"Hyuga, bro!" he calls out in a voice a little to loud for indoors. "Come sit with me, new guy! Hey, we've got lots to talk about, you and me. You wanna get off on the right foot here, don't you?"

Hyuga nods and accepts the invitation. What choice has he?

"Anyway, new guy, I hear you're from Shimonoseki. So, you like puffer fish?"  
"Of course!" says Hyuga.

"Obviously," says Yasuo. "Here, the specialty food depends on which chef is working at the dorm during any given semester. Most of last year, it was tofu, but we're getting someone new when the semester starts, so I'll need to keep an eye out."

"Is the food normally good?" Hyuga asks.

"Usually," says Yasuo. "After all, we get our own chef, so at least we're not eating slop. That's just one of the many perks of going to Hibari, and living in Dorm #5 is even better."

"Are the dorms that different?"

"Are you kidding?" Yasuo face expresses his disbelief that such a question need even be asked. "You'll find out soon enough that each dorm has its own special culture. Ours is the best obviously, partly because ours is one of the few that have both guys and girls. Also, partly because we have the most fun. Man, I'm going to have to teach you all about having fun here."

"Is there that much to learn?"

"When your fun comes partly from what you learn in class and in your extracurricular activities, yes. Yes, it does. I'm in the Chemistry Club, myself, and that lends itself to a few advantages. Big advantages. I know you're probably wondering just what kinds of advantages there can be to being in a club like that, but believe me, there are plenty. Chemistry is great for those who like pranks, you know, and I'm a bit of a legend in that field."

"A legend at your age?"

"Definitely. It's all harmless stuff, but there's a certain joy I take in, say, setting off homemade fireworks in the middle of last year's graduation speech. On some level, I think even Principal Mori was proud of me, or at least he would have been if he had caught me. Of course, when you can operate things remotely, you never get caught."

Hyuga suppresses a laugh. His imagination has already begun dreaming up scenarios that could make him into his own kind of legend, but it has trouble coming up with anything that isn't a derivative of Yasuo's fireworks prank.

XXX

Hibari Dorm #5 Lobby

Time: Evening

The party is about two things: food and meeting new people. Hyuga is not quite sure in which order to prioritize those goals, but he does his best to accomplish both. First he concentrates on the snacks provided, and then he and Yasuo sit down on one of the couches and look around at the other party guests.

"Good crop of girls this year," Yasuo notes. "See any you like?"

"Not so far," says Hyuga, who has only just begun scrutinizing the pack of female students in attendance. "Do you know any of them?"

"Not really," says Yasuo. "In fact, I hardly even recognize them. It seems most of the Hibari regular student upperclassmen haven't shown up. That leaves us to prey on some freshmen and some transfers. Ya dig?"

"Prey on them?"

"It's a metaphor. I'm currently single, and I have a bit of a reputation, so I need to be careful when talking to girls. You, on the other hand, will make the perfect wingman for tonight."

"Great," says Hyuga. "But what if I see someone I want to get to know?"

"Then may the best man win!" Yasuo shows off the same wicked smile he had when he first met Hyuga.

And with that, Yasuo Ideka leaves the couch to infiltrate a group of girls near one of the windows. Hyuga wonders just how careful Yasuo intends to be while charging blindly into a conversation currently being held by at five girls, none of whom he knows, but he decides to take a more conservative approach to meeting and greeting. And to his surprise, a girl actually walks up to him and joins him on the couch.

"Um, hi?" he half says, half asks her—a tallish girl with a face that falls somewhere neatly between looking serious and looking friendly, nicely combed medium length hair, a perfectly buttoned, nicely fitting jacket over her Hibari uniform, and a somewhat disarming smile. Hyuga neither considers himself a true ladies' man nor a complete nerd, but he finds himself somewhat disarmed.

"Hi," she says, her voice not quite as threateningly perfect as her appearance. "You're one of the new kids, right?"

"I am," says Hyuga. "Are you?"

"That's right," she says. "I just got here this afternoon, and I heard about this party, so I thought I'd try to make some friends before the school year starts. I think if I try meeting someone who is also a little out of place, we might make it easier for each other."

"What?" says Hyuga. "Um, you mean..."

"Oh!" she says, clearly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to gush like that. I'm just nervous about meeting new people. That's all. Please forgive me."

"Don't worry. If you're committing the crime of talking too much here, I've been committing the equal and opposite crime of talking too little. There's a whole year to get that sort of thing right."

The girl laughs. "I guess you're right. I don't want to make a first impression so bad that I can't make any friends this year, but it wouldn't help me any more if I just said nothing, either."

"It's a delicate balance," says Hyuga.

"Hee hee," says the girl. "I think your conversation skills are just fine, by the way. I mean, for someone who just arrived from a new city and all. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Did I?"

Hyuga nods sympathetically.

"I'm Akane Shinohara, a second year high school student in the Hibari guest program. I'm originally from Fukuoka. What about you?"

"I'm Hyuga Hosokawa, from Shimonoseki." Hyuga stands up, bows politely, and sits back down. "Nice to meet you, Miss Shinohara."

"Akane is fine," she says. "Really, I don't think I could stand not having anyone around who feels comfortable calling me by my first name, so if we pretend we're already good friends, that'll make me feel more comfortable, in a strange way."

"Okay, then, Akane," says Hyuga. "Again, nice to meet you."

"Sorry again," Akane says. "This is so embarrassing, but I'm already getting a little homesick, and I just got here, so I'm probably overreacting or overreaching or something. It's not like I really know what to do at parties, anyway."

"If you're a good enough student to get into the guest program," says Hyuga, "then you're probably not the type who wastes a lot of time. I don't blame you. I've always cared more about my own future than school social events, myself."

"Ah, so you're the brainy type," Akane teases. "I met you two minutes ago, and I've already got you pegged."

"Possibly. Insomuch as you can have someone figured out. I'm not a complicated person."

"We all have our mysteries and our hidden dark sides," says Akane. "Um, not to be creepy or anything. I mean, it's not like I have, um, I mean, my life is pretty boring, too. You know what I mean."

Hyuga chuckles. "Good to know. So, you're here from Fukuoka, and you're into studying more than having fun. I'm sort of the same way. Yasuo over there..." Hyuga points at his other friend. "He seems to be the opposite. He's helping me settle in, though he seems a little more eager to pick up girls than to discuss the school tonight."

It is Akane's turn to laugh. "That's him. Talking to FIVE girls at once? He must be quite the charmer."

"He's quite the talker, that's for certain. If they haven't gotten a word in yet, then they haven't been able to reject him. It's really a good strategy."

"It is, but hey," Akane says, eager to change the subject, "have you gone over your orientation materials yet? Just in case you haven't, we have a meeting tomorrow. Principal Mori is supposed to give a talk, and we'll learn a little more about some of the special events for guest students this year. It should be pretty exciting, and I know Yasuo can't come with you, so, um, let's go together, okay?"

Hyuga once again finds himself disarmed, but Akane answers for him before he gets a chance to speak up. "It's settled, then. I'll pick you up from the lobby an hour before it starts, and we'll decide whether to take the bus or the subway. On the way, we can compare notes and information we've gathered on the town and the school, though I don't really have much yet. So, uh, you'll have to be patient with me at first."

"Sounds good," says Hyuga. "I'm sure Yasuo will be able to tell me something interesting, and I can pass the word along."

"Great." Akane nods her head vigorously, apparently relieved that she will have some company tomorrow. "This town kinda scares me right now, so I'll be happy not to have to travel alone."

"It scares you? Why?"

Akane lowers her head. "Just the same jitters everyone gets when alone in a new city. That's all, I think. Though to tell you the truth, this place has felt a little bit stranger than most strange places. Do you know what I mean?"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Maybe it's nothing, but this whole school, maybe even this whole city, just doesn't sit well with me. It looks normal enough, I suppose, but it gives me a bad feeling, like I'm not completely safe."

"Anything in particular?"

"Well..." Akane looks around as if worried that someone is watching her, and then she leans in closer to Hyuga's ear. "There is. This is going to make me look like a big freak if I tell you, but I think if I get it off my chest, I'll feel a little better, so here goes. At my old high school, there were some rumors going around about a magazine I subscribe to. Everyone there does. It's called _Coolest_. It's a style magazine, or a lifestyle magazine, or however you want to describe it. Anyway, one of the writers for it is this woman named Maya Amano, and everyone says she's cursed, or at least the things she writes about are cursed. I might not even have come if I had known ahead of time, but I'll have to show you tomorrow. The April issue of _Coolest_ has a feature article on Hibari High School, and it's written by Maya Amano! So, I'm more than a little worried, and I have to trust a fellow outsider more than someone who lives here."

"What sort of curse is it supposed to be?" Hyuga tries hard not to betray skepticism in his voice, though he has to admit to himself that if it were a guy talking to him about this sort of thing, he wouldn't try to hide it.

"Horrible things," says Akane. "Horrible things. Demons eating people's souls and all that. I mean, I know I shouldn't worry about that kind of stuff, but reading about it on the train on the way over to the new school was just too much. Maybe I've made a fool of myself talking to you about this now, but I'm a little scared, even if I know it's nothing. Do you think I'm weird?"

"Hey," says Hyuga, genuinely concerned for the girl. "I'm not going to pass judgment on you yet. I just met you, and it would be unfair to say you're weird based solely on how you react to a set of unusual circumstances. I'll be happy to read the article tomorrow if you bring it with you, and you don't have to be alone. Don't worry, okay?"

"All right." Hyuga's words have a bit of a calming effect on Akane, and she seems to regain some of her composure. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," says Hyuga. "We're all in this together."

"If you don't mind, then," says Akane, "let's exchange contact information. I mean, if I get chased by a demon or something, I want to be able to call for help, and you'll want the same luxury!"

By the time they are done entering each other's numbers into their cell phones, Yasuo has finished striking out with his group of five girls, and he rejoins Hyuga at the couch. He looks slightly miffed that Akane is sitting in his spot, but all the same he gives Hyuga a pat on the back and congratulates him on his new friend.  
"Hyuga, buddy!" he says. "Looks like you did just fine for yourself, though you forgot that you were supposed to be my wingman there! Me, versus five girls. And they're all going to tell their friends about me, and they'll tell their friends, and so on! My reputation among the new girls will be shot before it even has a chance to get off the ground. Woe is me!"

"You were right about him," jokes Akane.

Yasuo's face goes red. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," says Akane.

"Oh," says Hyuga, "I should introduce you two. Yasuo, this is Akane Shinohara, a fellow guest student. Akane, this is Yasuo Ikeda."

"Charmed," says Yasuo. He reaches out to shake Akane's hand. She reciprocates, but he then pulls her hand closer and tries to give it a suave kiss. Akane will have none of that; she yanks her hand back and frowns at Yasuo.

"Whoa, whoa there! I'm just being friendly." Yasuo tries his best to look hurt.

"Please keep your hands and lips to yourself," Akane scolds. "With manners like that, you'll have to get used to that, anyway."

"Geez," says Yasuo. "Don't embarrass me in front of my new buddy."

"I'm his new friend, too," Akane insists. "Though I'm probably going to say goodnight to him now, as I have more unpacking to do. I'll see you tomorrow, Hyuga."

Akane flashes Hyuga a smile, and then she alights from the couch and marches off down the hallway, making a show of rudely refusing to look back. For Yasuo's sake, obviously.

"It's only fair," says Yasuo. "I strike out badly, and you strike out, too. I mean... wait, did she say she'll see you tomorrow?"

Hyuga does his best to imitate Yasuo's evil smile, but he is not certain he succeeds. "We're going to the orientation meeting together. She's nervous about being alone in a new city, so she's gravitating toward other people who are not from around here. That's all."

"Oh." Yasuo looks a little disappointed. "It's an opportunity, though. Isn't it? You could become popular pretty quickly if you can charm pretty new girls just like that."

"It's not like that," says Hyuga. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"Nice," says Yasuo. "Sure, nice and... um... geez, I can't think of a good innuendo there. See what striking out with five girls at the same time does to your brain? It's like getting hit by a truck, I tell you!"

"There will be others," says Hyuga. "There are lots of dorms, aren't there? They'll all have new girls in them."

"Not the boys' dorms," says Yasuo. "Weren't you paying attention earlier?"

"I guess not," says Hyuga.

Yasuo sighs. "There's a lot to take in. Anyway, I'll still help you out. I just need to get those girls out of my mind and some new girls on my mind, preferably before they all find higher class guys around. You up for that?"

"I'll try," says Hyuga. "But can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, buddy." Yasuo's smile (his happy smile, not his evil smile) is back. "You name it."

"See if any of the girls you talk to tonight subscribes to _Coolest_ magazine. I heard there is an article about the school in the April issue."

"I'll see what I can do," says Yasuo. "I have a few magazines of my own, but that's not one of them."

"It's not a big deal," says Hyuga. "Akane is a subscriber, and she's going to show me the article tomorrow."

"Interesting," says Yasuo, halfheartedly, before shifting his focus back to things he actually finds interesting, namely girls.

The rest of the evening is filled with Hyuga attempting to help Yasuo hit on the new girls at the party, Yasuo doing about as well as he did with the first set, and then Yasuo moping on the couch to recover in between attempts. Two and a half hours of similar shenanigans are enough to tired both of them out, so Yasuo says goodnight and leaves for his room.

Hyuga sticks around a few minutes longer, nibbling on a plate of snacks and watching young people jostle about, chat, show off, flirt, and befriend each other. None of the people he sees sticks in his mind until the end, however.

Just as he is about to leave the lobby and make his way up to his room, Hyuga feels an impulse to look back at the party one last time. The crowd has thinned a bit, as most of the transfer students apparently know about tomorrow morning's assembly and have already gone off to bed. The remaining party goers are most likely freshmen and a few upperclassmen trying to get to know the new kids (likely with motives roughly as innocent as Yasuo's, Hyuga assumes). Then, out the corner of his eye, entirely validating his decision to listen to his gut at take one last look at the crowd, Hyuga thinks he sees someone familiar. One of the girls next to the refreshment table appears just familiar enough to stab at his memory, though try as he might, he cannot come up with either her name or where he might have seen her before. It is not Akane, certainly; her face is shorter and rounder, her features are more girlish, and her hair is longer. Something about her bugs Hyuga enough that he stares for longer than he probably should, but before he can either figure out who he is or muster the guts to walk over and ask her, she leaves the party with two other, decidedly unfamiliar, girls. He does not think to wonder why she would leave through the front door.

Without anything else to fall back on, Hyuga comforts his brain by trying to convince himself the mysterious girl was just one of the underclassmen with whom Yasuo had been flirting, though even after he gets back to his room, the question keeps him awake at least half an hour longer than he otherwise would have been.

At least sleep comes. Tonight, Hyuga's dreams are troubled with a mix of his mystery girl and Akane Shinohara, along with a disturbing scene in which Yasuo has his brain eaten by a demon who looks disturbingly similar to one of the teacher at Hyuga's old high school (or perhaps a mix of all of them—Hyuga cannot quite tell).

However, for the first time in three nights, the Velvet Room does not appear to him.


	4. April 3, 2009

April 3, 2009

Hibari Dorm #5

Time: Early Morning

Hyuga wakes up confused but refreshed, and he hurriedly showers (grateful for the fact that each dorm room has its own shower) and dresses. Slipping his schedule into his book bag, he leaves his dorm in enough of a hurry that the nervousness in his stomach does not have time to grow into full scale worry.

Akane is waiting for him when he reaches the lobby, again wearing her Hibari uniform and toting her own book bag over her shoulder. She waves in greeting and waits for him to walk over to her, and then she stares blankly for a second until she remembers that she promised a magazine, which she then produces from her book bag.

The cover of he April 2009 issue of _Coolest_ is on par with the covers of most lifestyle magazines: a pretty girl wearing expensive, gaudy clothes and jewelry and a camera smile, some headlines designed to catch the attention of readers eager to learn the intricate details of a successful strategy for dating/shopping/decorating/cooking/etc., the magazine name in a large, colorful font at the top, an advertisement for Etheria Incense on the back, and so on. Nothing particularly interesting, but Hyuga has little time to inspect it further before Akane flips through and points to the article she mentioned last night. Sure enough, under an article title ("A New Trend Among Hip Youth at Hibari High School in Shiryukawa") are the words "article by senior columnist Maya Amano" in a slightly smaller print. Photos by Yuki Mayuzumi.

"The cursed reporter," Akane says while pointing at the article. "And see? That's where we are. There aren't any other Hibari High Schools in Japan, much less in Shiryukawa!"

"I see," Hyuga says. "But this is a fashion magazine, isn't it? What's so cursed about fashion?"

"This article isn't about that. Nothing Maya Amano writes about is in line with the rest of the magazine, it seems."

"That might be where the curse rumors come from."

"You might want to read the article first, or at least part of it. It's about high school students using a new kind of social network. Apparently, part of our school's computer network is set up so students can meet and chat and share interests and do other internet things all on a school server, with no outsiders allowed in. You set up an avatar, and that's who you are on the website, though you can link information about who you actually are to your avatar. You need a school email to sign up, but apparently everyone does it. I think the reporter got special permission to try it out. It would sound like a lot of fun if it weren't for the curse rumors."

"That does sound kind of fun. We should try it out later."

"After we get school email accounts, sure. I don't think I can get rid of the nervousness about this place until I see for myself that there is nothing dangerous, about the school or the electronic network or any of that."

"Do you think we'll get our accounts today?"

"I think the computer staff will set them up today or tomorrow, according to the schedule. You haven't gone over the schedule yet?"

"Yeah, sorry," says Hyuga. "I haven't really had time. I stayed a while at the party last night watching Yasuo strike out with pretty much every girl there." Almost every girl. Not that one girl, though, but Hyuga does his best not to think about her right now.

"That must have been hilarious," says Akane. "I wish I could have seen it, but I needed my sleep, and I had a little more unpacking to do. Oh, and Yasuo makes me a little uncomfortable."

"You weren't the only one."

Akane laughs at this. "Yeah, it could have been worse. I think he got the message, though, so I probably have nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I don't know." Hyuga shakes his head. "I get the feeling you haven't heard the last of Yasuo Ikeda. Maybe he won't try to kiss you again, but I get the feeling he's going to do something to get attention, from you and from everyone else. He just seems like the type."

"You sound like you know something that I don't."

"I'll withhold details to protect the guilty. In any case, we should probably get going to make sure we're not late."

Together, Hyuga and Akane leave the building and walk down the paved pathway outside and take the sidewalk to the end of the block. Before the roadway intersection is the mouth of a tunnel leading to the subway, down the middle of which runs a handrail with stairs on either side. They descend into the subway concourse and swipe their Hibari High School subway cards at the turnstile in lieu of buying tickets. Hyuga checks his rail map.

"Our train is the green line, and it'll get us there in three stops. Not a bad commute."

Akane nods, and when their train arrives, they board. The inside is packed with men in business attire and students wearing the uniforms of other schools, as well as a few delinquent youths not wearing uniforms. An old man hobbles through the car hawking trinkets, but everyone ignores him. Hyuga and Akane sit next to each other on the train, but neither initiates much conversation. The noise of the train and of the other passengers chattering to themselves and to their cell phones would drown out anything they wanted to say, anyway, so they hold off until they reach their stop, disembark, exit through the turnstiles again, and move for the nearest green exit sign.

Akane breaks the silence. "Say, do you have any idea how the faculty mentorship program is supposed to work? I hope we don't have to sign up for anything in particular today; I don't really know what sort of focus I want. I don't even know which club I'm going to join yet! What about you? Is that too many questions at once? Sorry, I'm just a little starved for conversation."

"Not to worry," says Hyuga. "I think we'll learn more about the program today, and we don't have to join any clubs until school actually starts, though I'm thinking of joining a science club. Maybe I'll try a cultural club, too. You can never be too cultured."

"I guess you can't," says Akane, laughing again. "I'll see what options we have, then. If we live that long, I mean."

"What?"

"If demons don't eat us, silly. See, if I joke about it, I'm a little less nervous."

"You're really worried about demons?"

"More about school, but demons are easier to joke about."

"Ah. Unless they turn out to be real. Then they'll be no laughing matter."

Akane giggles anyway. "Yeah, but what are the odds of that?"

XXX

Hibari High School

Time: Morning

Hibari High School is huge: four floors high, as wide as a shopping mall, athletic fields and miscellaneous buildings scattered as far as the eye can see in either direction, and more greenery than a park. Trees, bushes, flowers, and grass peek out everywhere they could be fit in an effort to make the schoolyard look more inviting, and much of the front of the yard is filled with trimmed hedges. The school building itself is constructed in the same style as the dorms, heavy on silver and with windows everywhere. It looks like a 1960s science fiction moon colony, but larger.

Hyuga stops and stares at the spectacle from the front gate. He does not even notice that Akane has continued walking without him until she turns around and shouts back for him to hurry. They may be early, but the school is large enough that getting lost might be an issue. Hyuga snaps to attention and jogs up to Akane's side, and they talk about what clubs they might join until they reach the front doors.

Inside, two students sitting at a registration table beckon to them and hand them maps and extra copies of the day's schedule, and they tell them how to get to the auditorium. They must go to the east wing (the school faces south, just like the dorms) near the end, next to the door to the drama classroom. First floor. If they do not try to explore, they should not get lost.

Akane thanks the students politely, and the two of them head off in the indicated direction. Hyuga has observed that Akane is less nervous when her mind is on something else, so he lets her lead the way. This gives him a little more leeway to admire the sparklingly clean inside of the school, its walls the same silver as the outside and decorated here and there with paintings and murals and bulletin boards, and its floors shiny enough he can see himself if he looks down at his feet.

The entrance to the auditorium is a set of plain, blue double doors at the end of a hallway, but the inside is spectacular. Expansive, carpeted, fantastic acoustics, brilliant lighting—everything one expects at an opera house. The stage in front is a wooden light brown as far as it is visible in front of a velvet curtain blocking most of the view. The audience seats are overly large and plush.

Akane takes an aisle seat near the front, and Hyuga takes the seat next to hers. Only a few others have arrived so far, so the place is mostly empty. The program does not begin for at least fifteen minutes.

"I like the chairs," Akane notes, though Hyuga cannot tell if she is talking to him or to herself.

Hyuga reviews the schedule, which includes a list of the speakers for the orientation meeting. Principal Mori will go first, welcoming all of the special students to the guest program. Following that is a talk about the virtues of hard work and dedication given by a political science student from Tokyo University doing a year of hands on political study and fieldwork. Then teacher will say a few words about the special opportunities for guest students. Hyuga wonders how many speeches he can get through before falling asleep.

Glancing over at Akane, Hyuga sees that she is ignoring the program in favor of _Coolest_. Digging for information about the website, he guesses, or maybe reviewing what she already knows. It never hurts to be too careful about anything. Unless there is an opportunity cost to the planning, of course, but going into _that_ will just lead to blatant overthinking of the simple act of reading a magazine while waiting for a talk to begin, and Hyuga hopes he can do a slightly better job that than at preserving his sanity. It's too early in the day to think about opportunity costs.

When the seats around them begin to fill, Hyuga and Akane put away their reading materials and await the opening remarks by Principal Mori. When everyone appears to be seated, two men in jumpsuits drag a podium and a microphone into the middle of the stage in front of the curtain and then leave. Finally, another man steps up to the podium.

This man is thin and of medium height. His round head is balding on top, and fluffs of gray hair stick out to each side above oversize ears, upon which rest the thick black rims of a pair of spectacles wrapping around to a bulbous nose. Below that, his puffy cheeks and slight double chin round out his features. He looks every bit like a principal.

"Good morning, honored guest students at Hibari High School," he says in a more powerful voice than Hyuga expects to hear from a face like that. Principal Mori makes a point of shoving the microphone to the side as he speaks, as his voice carries well enough that he does not need it.

"As you may have guessed," he continues, "I will be your principal this year, and I am honored once again to preside over a group of such talented, dedicated students. Students like you, not like your peers who may lack your ambition or your aptitude or both, are the future of our country and the future of the world. It is a burden and a responsibility to have that demand thrust upon you, but it is also a delight.

"Part of my job as principal is to ensure that the seeds of knowledge and inquisitiveness are planted into you so that you might become the best you can be, for we live in a world that is ever advancing. Progress is our goal, our motto. If we accept the world for what it is, we will forever be doomed to live in the past, and though our present and our future are to be informed by the past, it is imperative that we continue to grow as well as embrace our tradition. If we draw on the best of both worlds, then, and only then, we can live in the best of all possible worlds.

"But enough of that. You are here to learn, and learn you shall. You are now in the company of some of the best young minds in Japan. Look around you. Every last one of these students is in the upper echelon of his or her class. Every last one of them will go on to a respected university and achieve something great in life. Most high school students do not have the opportunity to spend a year in such hallowed company, but you, dear students, are experiencing that opportunity at this very moment. You have embraced that opportunity, or else you would not be here, right now, in this room, listening to me.

"We at Hibari High School take great pains to provide the best education available to ensure that we attract the best students, both for our regular programs and our guest programs. In many ways, though, the guest programs are even more prestigious, as they draw from a wider base of students around the country, whereas our regular students are mostly residents of Shiryukawa. That is a reason you should be proud, but do not count out your classmates this year. Shiryukawa is a large city with quite a few bright students, and we make sure that we get the best of them.

"This year you will make new friends among yourselves and among the rest of our student body. You will study the past and the present and the future, and you will overcome obstacles more imposing that anything you have faced before. This program is a difficult one. You will have to apply discipline to a degree life has never before required of you, but when you are finished, you will be better for it. Embrace the struggle. Enjoy it, for what does not kill you will only make you stronger.

"We want you to be comfortable during your stay here, so we have made every effort to ensure that you will be provided with the highest standards of living, relaxing, and dining. Exhibits of local, national, and world culture will be on hand to broaden your minds. Guest speakers, social events, and a few surprises will add a special spice to your school year. In fact, our first guest speaker is here with me now, as are some other members of the faculty. In a few minutes, you will hear from them on some particular topics of study you may wish to pursue, and one of our teachers will explain in more detail what special activities are available to our guest students. One of these I should mention now is our mentorship program, applications for which will be due on Monday. I see a few of you looking terrified at the prospect of filling out another application. Why, you ask, must you apply again after you are already here? The answer is that you will all be accepted, but we must divide you up so you can receive special attention. There are too many of you for everyone to get the same mentor, you know.

"The details of the program will be explained later, but before you get tired of listening to your old Principal Mori talking in generalities, I should introduce you to today's guest speaker. Please welcome a political science student from Tokyo University, currently doing a survey of local politics. She was a lot like you in high school: the best. She was president of her Student Council, and her excellent grades reflected study habits that enabled her to enter Tokyo University, where she is now a star student. Throughout the year, she will gives guest lectures on the political process. It is an honor to have her working with us this year. Let us now welcome Chihiro Fushimi!"

At these words, a young woman in a dark red business suit steps out from behind the curtain and approaches the podium. She moves the microphone in front of her and taps it with her finger. A loud _tap, tap, tap_ from hidden loudspeakers indicates that the microphone is working properly. Chihiro Fushimi clears her throat loudly (too loudly, Hyuga thinks, for someone used to speaking in public) and starts her talk.

"Good morning, students," she begins. "I am, as Principal Mori said, Chihiro Fushimi. I will be saying a few words today that I think are important. Please bear with me. Soon your teachers will give you more specific details of your program, but before they do, I want to say a little about what it means to have a mentor.

"As old as I look now, I was once a high school student. It was not that long ago, actually. I attended a somewhat famous school called Gekkoukan, where I learned a few lessons that have stayed with me to this day, and I wish to pass some of them along to you over the course of this year, starting with today. Yes, I was on the Student Council, and yes, I was the President, but if you had known me when I was a freshman, you never would have guessed that I would ever be fit for such duties. I was shy and nervous. Almost twitchy. I could not give speeches at all. And yet, here I am today. What helped me overcome my deficiencies to get to the point where I could even give this talk, much less study to be a politician? After all, one day my job will be to give speeches.

"I will tell you. Gekkoukan High has a tradition of charismatic, strong students as heads of its Student Council. When I joined as a freshman, I learned from one of the best the school has ever known, a woman who is now a powerful business leader as well as one of my best friends. She was, in many ways, a mentor to me. She helped me learn the courage, charm, and academic skills I will use my whole life as a public servant. These things I learned from her now form the core of my career skills. The benefits of learning from someone who herself learned from a mentor, a giant in his field, the great Takeharu Kirijo. In this way, the best knowledge and experience from the past went through Takeharu Kirijo and his daughter to me, and I will pass on to you both what I have learned and what I continue to discover about the process of studying at a prestigious university. After all, I am not much older than you; all of you will be in my position, though perhaps not my field, in just a few short years, so if I can prepare you in any way, it is to everyone's benefit.

"Let me close my little speech with a lesson in one virtue you must carry with you through your time here, that of friendship and integrity. Those may sound like two different things, but one of them supports the other in a very important way. If you love your home, your city, your country, or your school, you and those close to you must work together to keep it clean and honest. If you spot corruption, it is your duty to report it to the local authorities. If you spot dishonesty, you must expose it to the light of day so that it will wither. Even the brightest of containers can hide something dirty or horrifying inside, and if you open the container and spot the corruption, you must warn others.

"What I mean by all of this is that you have a duty to your community and to each other. In fact, you are now your own sort of small community. If something about the community seems wrong, then you should not let the wrongness fester. You should..."

Before Chihiro Fushimi can finish her sentence, Principal Mori takes the microphone from her and waves her aside.

She says something to Principal Mori, but Hyuga cannot make out what it is, and he cannot hear anything over the rumbling of an audience restless and impatient after having their speaker interrupted.

Principal Mori speaks over the din: "I must apologize, but we are on a tight schedule today, and Miss Fushimi has gone over her allotted time. You will hear from her later, but that is all for now. What she was going to say was that you need to sign and turn in your Honor Code forms by Monday. The Honor Code is important, but the main point of it is that you shouldn't cheat. Avoid cheating, and we'll all get along. Please, then, let me introduce our next speaker, one of the fine teachers at our school, Mr. Abe."

As Chihiro Fushimi disappears behind the curtain, a middle aged man, a man in a burgundy suit with straight hair and a face covered with tight skin that makes him look like he's scowling even while he's trying to smile, steps out and walks to the microphone. He introduces himself and says that he'll be talking about material mostly covered in the papers left on each student's desk before everyone arrived, so Hyuga allows his attention to drift. The gist of the speech is that each student will meet weekly with a faculty or community mentor to study one subject in more detail, and the student and mentor will agree on a project to be presented at the end of the year. By that time, the student should have considerable grounding in the subject, so choices are to be made carefully and thoughtfully. Of course, it takes the speaker fifteen minutes to say all of this.

The rest of the speakers are teachers pitching their individual mentorships. The last one hands a booklet to each student filled with names and short descriptions of the programs. The last page is the application form, the top half of which is reserved for the student's identification information and qualifications and the bottom half of which is room for a short essay explaining why the student wishes to join this particular program.

"There are a lot of choices, aren't there?" Akane says to Hyuga after Principal Mori dismisses everyone. "We don't have anything else to do today, so I'm going to go home and read through the booklet. You should probably do the same. Then we can meet for lunch tomorrow to talk about which ones look good and to help each other with our application essays. If you like, I mean."

"That sounds great," says Hyuga. "I'll do just that, unless I run into Yasuo. He promised he'd show me around sometime. Plus, I think the tech people are coming by to set up my computer account, so maybe I can sign up for that network and let you know what I find out."

"Sure," says Akane. "You have a computer here?"

"An old one, but it still works. Do you have your own?"

"Of course! I'll call you later to get you my new email. I think I'll be too busy to do much online tonight, though, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure thing," says Hyuga. "Are you heading back now?"

"Not yet," says Akane. "I made plans to hang out with some girls from my floor this afternoon, so I'm going to meet them at a cafe this afternoon. I hope it doesn't run too long, though—I'm really worried about picking the right mentor, and more than that, I'm worried that if any of them sounds to good from the descriptions in the guidebook, that one will get all of the applications."

"Then pick the area you want to study and ignore the descriptions," says Hyuga. "If everyone gets the same book, then everyone will apply for the ones who sound best in writing, but maybe there are some fun programs that don't come off as very exciting on paper. You never know, right?"

"Not a bad idea, Hyuga," says Akane. "I'll try that later. Thanks for everything, but I really need to get going. I'll talk to you later, okay? And I'll call you tonight."

"Have a good afternoon."

XXX

Hibari Dorm #5

Time: Evening

Nothing goes right that afternoon, at least from a technological perspective. Two guys from the Information Technology department have come to help set up Hyuga's computer account and get his new email address working, but one of them drops is monitor on the floor and breaks it, and they spend the entire afternoon explaining the situation to their bosses and finally getting clearance to use a school-owned credit card to buy Hyuga a new monitor and, as consolation, some newer hardware, albeit some that is still obsolete. So, things turn out just fine.

Akane calls on schedule, after dinner, and she and Hyuga exchange email addresses and stories about their afternoons. Akane listens sympathetically to the tragic tale of the last hours of the life of Hyuga's old computer, and she tries to joke about how it's good that it was just the computer monitor that died and not Hyuga himself, but her timing is off, and the joke is not all that funny. Hyuga hears about how Akane and a few other girls had lunch at an Italian cafe and then spent the rest of the afternoon looking at some of the local shops, trying to decide which would be the best place to buy snack food and other school year essential items. All in all, it sounds like a good idea.

They chat until it gets late, and then Hyuga turns in, exciting about the coming weekend.

XXX

Hyuga's Room

Time: Late Night

The white noise of Hyuga's room fades out, and the images conjured by his imagination as he lay back attempting sleep are replaced by a familiar train car and a familiar yet odd man with a long nose. He smiles the only smile Hyuga has seen all week that looks even more sinister than Yasuo's.

"Welcome back, Hyuga Hosokawa. I've been expecting you, as you should have been expecting me. You signed your contract, after all."

Igor folds his hands under his chin and relaxes his smile. "You don't remember? It was something you turned in after your meeting this morning. Your promise to abide by the rules and to keep your honesty and integrity are what bring you here right now. You will learn the true purpose of this Velvet Room later, and in time you will speak with Elsa. For now, though, I merely thought it prudent to remind you that you have now accepted the contract and all of the responsibilities that brings with it. As I mentioned, only those who accept responsibility for their actions are allowed in here. In the near future, you will be able to come and go as you please, but for now, I must bid you adieu and good night. Until we meet again, Hyuga Hosokawa!"

And the dream world, too, fades out.


	5. April 4, 2009

April 4, 2009

Hyuga's Room

Time: Early Morning

Hyuga greets the final Saturday morning before the new semester with a yawn. He can hardly bring himself to crawl out of bed, shower, dress, and eat a quick breakfast, and on this particular day he tries blaming the weather. The sky outside is overcast and dreary, and the weather is unseasonably cool. It's a good day to settle down at his desk and review the mentor program notebook.

An hour of digging through the long list of programs does nothing for him, however, and when lunch draws nearer, he wonders just what he'll have to say to Akane. At last, he resigns himself to reporting that he is as yet undecided, and he has no more time to rethink his position before his cell phone rings.

"Hyuga?" Akane's voice chimes somewhat sleepily. Perhaps she, too, wants to crawl back into bed for the rest of the day.

"Hi, Akane," says Hyuga. "I was just going over the application information. If you still want to talk about it, I'll meet you somewhere."

"Great," says Akane. "That was just what I wanted to discuss over lunch. Meet me downstairs, and bring your notebook."

Beep. The phone call ends abruptly.

XXX

Hibari Dorm #5 Lobby

Time: Afternoon

Akane has chosen a more casual ensemble to wear today; foregoing her Hibari uniform on a day when there are no official school functions to attend, she has a on a loose red sweater over a pink shirt, a long, dark skirt, and tennis shoes. Hyuga thinks she looks nice but does not say so out loud. Instead, he waves hello to her and makes a point of showing that he has remembered his book, the main reason for their meeting today. That, and lunch. Breakfast did not satisfy him today, so he is more hungry than he usually is in the early afternoon.

"Are we eating in the cafeteria today?" Hyuga asks.

"I thought we'd try something a little more adventurous," says Akane. "I found a nice little place yesterday that I thought you might want to know about. Good food, cheap, and not too far. Better than having to eat school food every day, that's for sure."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. It's just down the block, too. They do a lot of business with kids from the dorm, or at least I assume they do. Come on, I'll show you!"

Akane leads the way, and just around the corner from the east entrance to the subway station, she steps between a convenience store and an internet café and into a small, homey restaurant that smells like noodles and looks like the kitchen in a small apartment. Without even waiting for Hyuga to suggest an order, she speaks to the girl waiting behind the counter and asks for two bowls of ramen. Within a minute, the two of them are sitting at a table near the window and eating.

After five minutes of eating, Hyuga confesses that he has not picked a program to which he intends to apply, and he isn't really any closer than he was last night, although he has read through the entire guidebook. He is surprised when Akane appears somewhat relieved, and she then admits that she had hoped to have chosen a program and finished her application so she could let Hyuga review the essay and check for grammatical errors. The problem has been that there are too many choices, and narrowing down the application to a single choice is too difficult.

Then she gets an idea. "Our instructions were vague, weren't they? I mean, we weren't really told what to write in the big blank space at the bottom of the application. That probably means we can get away with hedging a little. You know? Say we want one program, but list a few others we can fall back on if we don't get our first choice."

"It leaves less room to convince whoever is reading these that we want our first choices, but I guess it beats getting stuck with something terrible. Not a bad idea."

"Thanks," says Akane. "I'm going to have to try this again tonight, and I'll let you know what I come up with tomorrow. I don't have time to meet with you again this weekend, but I'll email my essay to you, and you can check it for mistakes. Does that sound good?"

"Not bad," says Hyuga. "I think I can handle that."

"I am leaning toward one of the math specialties, anyway. I'll let you know which ones I try for later. Once you have your search narrowed, let me know, too."

"Okay, then."

"Also, I'm going to try out that social network tonight, just to see what it's like. Maybe you'll find me on there if you sign up. If you don't, then we can talk Monday."

Hyuga is pleased with this plan, and he feels some of the pressure of finishing his application slide away. He and Akane manage to chat casually for a while before going back to the dorms, each of them carefully avoiding saying more about what is bugging them. There may be an elephant in the room—several of them—but the remainder of the conversation avoids talk of applications and computers and demons eating souls and mysterious girls seen at parties. These would be miserable places for the mind to dwell even on nice days, and today's clouds make for an even worse time to think about them.

Besides, Hyuga reasons, if he approaches his problems later with a fresh mind, he might be better able to come to grips with solutions.

XXX

Hyuga's Room

Time: Evening

Hyuga spends the first part of the evening working on his essay, but he cannot put his full effort into it for some reason. He feels that something is missing. He cannot put his heart onto the page like he would in a good composition. He manages drafts that are grammatically flawless and technically competent, but nothing he writes is enough to convince even himself, much less an impartial arbiter. Everything he types into his computer's text editor displeases him to the point where he must erase it and stare once more at a flashing prompt in the corner of the screen.

Part of the problem is that he still cannot settle on a single program. He has already decided to defer to his new friend and leave the math program to Akane, but the remaining choices do not yield a clear favorite or even a clear group of favorites. The part of him that enjoys science struggles with the part that enjoys literature and the part that enjoys history and the part that enjoys music and engineering and programming and everything else, and the result of the struggle is the same indecision that has plagued him all weekend. And because of this, he can write only generic essays that he might tailor to whichever program finally catches his eye when he does his final draft.

Frustrated with his efforts and somewhat ashamed of himself for having so much difficulty with the problem, Hyuga finally turns his computer off and resumes his Soseki novel, and this occupies him for the rest of the evening.

His dreams are muddled and hazy, and he does not see the strange man with the long nose tonight.


	6. April 5, 2009

April 5, 2009

Hyuga's Room

Time: Early Morning

Hyuga's alarm wakes him up. At first he has trouble remembering why he set it for a Sunday morning, but soon he remembers that he has plans to watch a new animated television show. The critical response to the show, as well as the comic book on which it is based, has been strong enough that it has forced the long-running sales program "Tanaka's Amazing Commodities" to out of its strong timeslot on Sunday mornings and into the dregs of Wednesday. Reportedly, this move did not go over well with program host Tanaka, but the move provides a new program with a chance to shine.

The show is a supernatural comedic mystery titled _Shinigami Unbalance_, starring a death god in search of a proper vacation from his duties who enrolls at a high school, where he will learn to be a martial arts chef. Today's show, "Episdoe 1: First day jitters with a side of ice cream!" appeals to Hyuga as a student at a new school, though he reasons that the show is likely intended to play to audiences starting the new school year.

Throughout the episode, the shinigami, named Ran, abandons his netherworld to apply for some thing he has never achieved, a high school diploma. On his first day, he meets a rival in the tough guy student named Rashomon, who also happens to be a magician whose past involves fighting with Ran the death god. Their very first cooking battle ends in a draw, Ran's crab cake soufflé earning exactly as many points as Rashomon's sushi a la mode. Both sides vow revenge for the disappointing result, and then the episode ends.

As soon as the closing credits finish rolling, Hyuga's cell phone rings. It's Yasuo. He, too, enjoyed the first episode of the saga of the death god battle chef, and he wants to talk about the nuances of the show. Hyuga agrees to meet him downstairs, though he insists on bringing his mentorship application with him so he does not forget to finish early enough in the day to send his final essay to Akane for editing.

XXX

Hibari Dorm #5

Time: Morning

"Yo, Hyuga!" Yasuo shouts as soon as he sees Hyuga enter the downstairs lobby. "Wasn't that a great show? I'm excited about it, for sure. It has everything: demons, cooking battles, swords, rivalries—everything! I don't think there's a person alive who doesn't enjoy that kind of mix. It's really going to give _Phoenix Ranger Featherman R_ a run for its money as the most popular show on television. You heard it here first, eh?"

Hyuga agrees, but he barely has time to nod his head before Yasuo launches into a five minute long rant on the virtues of _Shinigami Unbalance_, its artistic merits, and its social significance. This is the most serious Yasuo has been since he and Hyuga met, and his mastery of film making concepts actually impresses Hyuga. Animated dramas are one area in which Yasuo Ikeda can safely claim to be an expert.

"You have any plans for today?" Yasuo asks.

"Not anything specific, though I have some work I need to get done," Hyuga replies.

"Great," says Yasuo. "Then we can hang out. I can show you a thing or two about life here, and I might even know a good study spot for you."

"That sounds good," says Hyuga. "What did you have in mind?"

"Two things," says Yasuo. "First priority has to be getting some food. I'm running on empty here, and I just can't do that. It's unnatural! It's wrong!"

"I take it you have someplace in mind. Someplace other than the cafeteria."

"The cafeteria? Don't be a tool. No one eats there on weekends. The place I'm going to show you is at least a dozen times better."

"Really? You can quantify that."

"Sure can. You'll see what I mean."

"Lead the way, then."

XXX

Amala Cafe

Time: Afternoon

Yasuo's dining suggestion turns out to be the sort of place that does, indeed, stand out. He takes Hyuga about a block away from the dorm, around the corner and across the street, slightly father than the place Akane had found yesterday. Snuggled between an electronics store and a book shop is a small but cozy little restaurant built entirely out of red brick with a red awning over the entrance and a sign with red printed letters spelling out "Amala Cafe." More red dominates the inside of the establishment; the wallpaper, tablecloths, and the uniform of the waitress (the only worker in sight) all match the dark red hue of the bricks outside. Hyuga feels a bit like he's been swallowed by one of the anatomical models he has seen in biology class and is now surrounded by red intestines.

Yasuo has been grinning ear to ear since entering the building.

"So?" He nudges Hyuga with his elbow.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think? It's it awesome?"

"It's something."

"The atmosphere is a little oppressive at first, I'll give you that. Over time, though, this place'll feel like a second home. Or third, for those of us living in dorms. Whatever. It's great! Excellent food, great service, and look! Computers!"

Yasuo points to a row of desktop machines lining the side wall, comfortable seats lined up against them.

"See?" Yasuo grows even more excited. "Rei-senpai knows her customers well, so she's even got all the software a student might need installed on them. It's perfect for those times when you want to get something done but also want a change of scenery from your room."

"Rei-senpai?"

"Rei Fujisawa, the owner. See that pretty girl behind the counter just waiting to welcome you and serve you the best food you've had all week? Thats Rei-senpai. I've known her since I first started at Hibari, and I must say she's as good a person as anyone. She's a senior at the school, too. Pretty good student. Watch, as soon as I shut up she'll come over to greet you. Try and tell me you're not utterly charmed."

Sure enough, as soon as Yasuo finishes talking, the girl in the red dress and apron standing at the back of the room steps forward, bows, and flashes a smile that could the the twin of Yasuo's.

"Welcome to the Amala Cafe!" she says in a voice that sounds a practiced sort of sweet. "Allow me to be of service, whether you need a menu or some time with a computer. This cafe is here to meet the needs of our customers."

"Hi, Rei-senpai!" Yasuo says. "Meet Hyuga Hosokawa, a second year in the guest student program at Hibari."

"Greetings, Hyuga-kun," says Rei. "If you are new here, please remember this restaurant. Hibari students are always welcome here. My family runs it, and as Yasuo-kun probably already told you, I'm in my final year there. You'll probably see me around the campus tomorrow."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," says Hyuga. "This is an interesting place you have here. Yasuo speaks highly of it, so I'm sure I'll see it again. Actually, we're both pretty hungry now, so if you don't mind, I could use a menu."

"Sure thing!" Rei chirps. "You can pay with your meal card, in case you didn't know. With so many students around here, it would be stupid not to have an arrangement like that. I can swipe it with my card reader just like you can in the school cafeteria or some of the other businesses around here. It makes like easier when you don't have to carry cash around."

"Yeah, I seem to remember something like that from the student handbook," says Hyuga. "I haven't exactly memorized everything in there yet, but I vaguely recall reading that my school meal card can be used for lots of things, not just for eating school food."

Yasuo pulls out a chair at one of the tables, sits down, and insists once again that the food at Amala is better than the school food by a significant margin, and then he orders pork sumai from Rei and motions for Hyuga to sit down and place his own order of tuna tataki. Hyuga is hungrier than he thought, so he loses himself in his meal.

When he finishes, he waits for Yasuo to strike up conversation again.

"You're into that girl you met, aren't you?" Yasuo remarks.

"Not really," says Hyuga. "We're friends now, but once school starts, we might not see much of each other. Who knows how much work everything is going to be this year? I could end up spending nearly all of my time studying or doing special projects."

"Special projects? You mean like the clubs? There are some good ones."

"I mean the special mentorship program. I will be doing a one-on-one study with an expert in one a field, and I will spend the entire year becoming an expert on that, in addition to the rest of my classwork."

"Sounds hard." Yasuo frowns.

"I'll have to see. If I can pick something fun, then it'll be a breeze. It might even help me focus."

"Or, you could get stuck in something you hate, and then you'll lose a big chunk of your free time to something you don't even want to do."

"That's why the application is so important. To keep everyone from going after whichever program sounds the most interesting, we all have to write essays about why we should take a specific program. We'll find out later which one is the winner, I guess."

"Ouch. So now you have to agonize over it before the year even begins."

"That's how it is. I'm supposed to go over Akane's application essay for her tonight, even though she doesn't have time to meet with me today. I'd hoped I'd have something to send to her, but so far I have nothing. Nothing good, anyway. In any case, I should check my email soon."

"Great," says Yasuo. "I'll tell Rei-senpai."

"You have to tell her?"

"Some of the computers here are open to the general public, and some are just for students. Show her your ID card and she can sign you up for special computing privileges. There's better privacy that way, too."

This sounds like a good idea to Hyuga, and he figures it makes good sense for the business if Rei has a special setup for Hibari students, so he agrees, and he calls her over to his table. When he shows her his school ID and asks to sign up, she smiles, takes his card from him, and goes into the back room behind her counter. A few minutes later, she reappears, still smiling, and returns his card.

"You'll all set!" she says. "Just let me show you how to get in, and I'll give you your password. Use one of the machines near the back. You'll have to log in, but when you do, you can do anything you want. We're connected to the Hibari school network, so you'll even be able to access your storage account with the school. Happy computing!"

_Happy computing?_ Hyuga turns his head and grimaces. The cheerful attitude of the server and the gloomy decorations, when taken together, have made him slightly uneasy, and part of him worries about letting her hold his school ID card unattended, even for just a few minutes. However, if the cafe is connected to the school network, then anything he does on the computers should be secure. He repeats this thought to himself until he can relax.

Logging in is a simple process, and before long, Hyuga finds himself reading through his email. Akane has indeed sent a draft of her application essay, so Hyuga loads a copy of it into a text editing program and scans it for errors. The essay covers mainly Akane's academic history and her dedication to the art of problem solving, both of which are impressive. She is ahead of most high school students in her studies, so she will be a good fit for a more advanced program with a specialist mentor. Her grammar is impeccable. After reading the essay, he feels like he understands Akane a little better, and he finds himself hoping they can remain friends during the school year.

Hyuga's reply is short, with a few ideas on stylistic changes that might improve the pace of the essay. Most of it, he judges, is good; it is well-written and well-argued, and it ought to win her a spot in the program for which she is applying. He mentions that his essay is not ready, so he regrets that he will be unable to send her a copy for editing before the deadline.

Most of the rest of Hyuga's emails are either junk or sentimental well-wishing from his family back home, and he makes his way through them fairly quickly. The last one, he sees, is another message from Akane, subject line "networking." Before he can read it, Yasuo nudges him.

"You're quiet, aren't you? Hard at work already?"

Yasuo has been "working" on a game of Tetris at the terminal next to Hyuga, but the game is over.

"Just reading my email and editing Akane's essay. Nothing much."

"Then I'll fill you in on the other thing I wanted to talk about today. You wanna fit in at the new school?"

"Of course."

"Then you need to use the Ascension Network. That's the online social network for students at our school. It's called that because we're supposed to use our educations to rise to another plane of living, or some sort of nonsense. The actual network is pretty cool. You use your school email to sign up, and then you get to create an avatar and explore and talk to other students. You're partly anonymous when you do this, so it's easier to talk to people you don't know. It's a great way to spread rumors and trade class notes and, well, do just about anything."

"I've heard of this. Akane wanted to try it out, and she was going to tell me how it went."

"Why not see for yourself first and then report back to her? Then you can impress her with your own knowledge and experience. The program to run it is right here on these computers, so you can go online right now! I'll even join you."

Hyuga agrees. Registering is a short process, though he takes a bit more time to construct his avatar. He wants his online persona to resemble his own appearance as much as possible, so he takes each step slowly. When he finally finishes, the computer screen deposits his virtual self in a surprisingly well rendered three dimensional simulation of the Amala Cafe. Next to his avatar is a guy in a green jacket and denim pants with the name "Yasuo" hovering above his head in a plain white font.

The chat client at the bottom of the screen lights up: "Yasuo: Make me your online friend. Click me and then click on the face on the left of the screen, and it'll be easy from there."

Hyuga does so, and the white text above virtual Yasuo's head turns green.

"Yasuo: Green means friend. I'll friend you back, and then we can send each other messages more easily. If you are a friend, you can see more of my profile than if you aren't."

Hyuga sends a smiley face emoticon to Yasuo and then waits, unsure of what to do next.

"Yasuo: Follow me—this world is similar to the real Shiryukawa, but it is not quite the same, and it is always growing. I can show you some of the fun places to be, and you can explore on your own later."

Time flies as Yasuo leads Hyuga around a virtual city complete with coffee shops, arcades, stores, theaters, and other entertainment venues. They also pass quite a few of what look like apartment buildings. Yasuo explains that the network is designed to be improved upon by its users, and so students can opt to link "apartments" to custom-made locations they design themselves. Some of these are simply representations of rooms made to show off the personalities of the students, while others are considerably more elaborate. In the past, some of the more ambitious students even managed to construct alternate worlds inhabited by AI-controlled monsters to turn their corner of the social network into an online video game. The scope of the project is impressive.

"Hyuga: Awfully big for a school network. Are there other people here?"

"Yasuo: The network is run by a company. We're not the only school that uses it."

"Hyuga: What is the company?"

"Yasuo: The Kirijo Group, or a subcompany of theirs. Very big and rich, run by a pretty woman who is not much older than we are."

"Hyuga: Awesome. Think I'm her type?"

"Yasuo: No."

Hours pass before Hyuga realizes that he ought to quit the game and go back to his room to finish his essay. Yasuo waves him on but remains engrossed in the game, convinced he can afford to continue playing since he has no homework to do for tomorrow, so Hyuga says goodbye for the day and walks back to his room by himself. When he gets there, he sets back to work on his essay.

Time is running out, but Hyuga has finally decided to apply for the physics program, and with the choice of program made, he has little trouble finishing his essay in just over half an hour. He is just ready to go to bed when he realizes that he forgot to read Akane's second email, so he takes a minute to log in at his desktop computer before turning in.

There are two emails from Akane.

The first:

To: "Hyuga Hosokawa"

From: "Akane Shinohara"

Subject: re: re: Mentorship essays

Hi, Hyuga!

Thank you for your suggestions on my essay. I have implemented the corrections, and I feel confident I will get into the program am applying for. I'll have to take you out to lunch again to thank you properly, but for now I figured an email would be enough.

I want you to walk me to class tomorrow, so meet me in the lobby an hour before school starts.

I don't know if you read my other email yet, but maybe I was just being paranoid. There's no reason for me to get jumpy over every little thing, so don't worry about it.

Anyway, let's talk tomorrow. Good luck on your essay.

-Akane

Hyuga considers composing a reply to this before reading the other email, but he decides against it, if only because it seems to reference her previous message. He might as well read the other one and then send a single reply for both of them.

Strangely, though, when Hyuga checks for the other message, it is not there. Confused, Hyuga checks his email client's trash and spam folders, and he tries using a search feature to track down anything with "networking" in the subject line or in the body of the message, and he even searches for all messages sent from Akane's email address, but nothing shows up. He even starts to wonder if he imagined the message earlier, or if it was actually a spam message from a sender who was not really Akane, which was the automatically deleted. But then, why would Akane mention an earlier email? If she meant the one about her essay, she would not ask whether he read that because he plainly replied to it. And a spam message would still be in the spam or trash folder.

The mystery of the deleted email will have to wait for another time, however, as Hyuga has started to feel the long day catching up with him, and he wants to be well-rested for the first day of classes. Still somewhat bothered by the events of the weekend and somewhat nervous about tomorrow, it takes him almost an hour of lying in bed reading his Soseki novel to fall asleep.

Author note:

This story is supposed to run in "real time," meaning I want to get chapters out on the same day events happen to Hyuga.

This means two things. First, I have obviously moved the events of previous Persona games to past years. This allows characters like Chihiro to show up without her being inconveniently stuck in high school.

Second, some stretches will have more detailed events happening, and during these times I am more likely to fall behind. Please bear with me, and I will try to catch up. I am behind now because the start of this story is very complex, and I am having a little difficulty getting the details right. In time, everything will be sorted out, and I will probably be back on schedule by the end of the week.


End file.
